


A Bell and an Elephant

by thoughtfullightcollection



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-02
Updated: 2019-05-02
Packaged: 2020-02-15 22:18:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18678448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thoughtfullightcollection/pseuds/thoughtfullightcollection
Summary: Written to fulfill one word prompts "bell" and "elephants"





	A Bell and an Elephant

**Author's Note:**

> Written to fulfill one word prompts "bell" and "elephants"

_DINGDINGDINGDINGDING_!

Dan rolled his eyes and groaned, straightening from where he was dusting a shelf holding a dozen ceramic birds glazed in impossibly bright colors. He’d told his aunt not to buy that goddamned bell for the counter, he could very well hear the one on the door plainly enough. But she had insisted, said it would make it easier for the staff to know when a customer needed assistance when they were busy in other parts of the shop. Her shop, Howell’s Antiques and Crafts, where he was filling in for her since she’d broken her leg going dumpster diving for yet another broken bit of furniture to turn into one of her art pieces. There was no denying she was talented but she, like many of the Howell’s, lacked a sense of self-preservation and nothing could keep her out of back alleys and wheelie bins in search of her next project.

 _DINGDING DING DINGDING_!

The bell rang again before he’d even taken two steps toward the front of the shop to see what the customer wanted. And Dan would swear it sounded like a bit of that fucking Baby Shark song his little nephew went around singing until Dan wished his ears would actually fall off. He moved past more shelves full of what his aunt called _treasures_ and squeezed past several pieces of furniture much too large to be crammed into such a small shop, making his way to the counter at the front.

_DINGDING DING-_

“Jesus on a boat! Hands off the bell, mate, I’m right here!” He walked under the old wedding arch his aunt had displayed in the middle of the shop and up to the counter.

“Oh, wow.” Had he said that out loud? _Shit_ , he could tell by the way the man was looking at him, head cocked in question, faint smile on his lips, that he’d said that out loud. But, fucking hell, the man was a sight. Beautiful, really, in a Jurassic Park hoodie. He was tall and slim, pale and striking, his dark hair swept back in a quiff, his bright blue eyes filled with humor and what seemed to Dan a touch of panic. He cleared his throat and gave the spiel his aunt had taught him.

“Welcome to Howell’s Antiques and Crafts, my name is Dan, how can I help you today?” He said it politely, but as he spoke, he took the bell off the counter and placed it underneath with no attempt to hide his actions.

“I need a gift. For my mother. For Mother’s Day. A Mother’s Day gift. For tomorrow. How is it Mother’s Day already? It seems like it was just Mother’s Day! I can’t keep up with these things. I don’t even know what day of the week it is half of the time! And I’d be the bad son, wouldn’t I? If I forgot to send her a gift on Mother’s Day? She wouldn’t say it, nooo, but we’d both know she was thinking it and then I’d feel guilty until next Mother’s Day which I would probably forget- “

“Whoa, calm down, man. It’s going to be ok; we’ll get you sorted.” The man had a bit of the north in his voice, and it sounded as though it’d be quite deep when it wasn’t high pitched with panic. He was cute, Dan thought, as he bit back a grin. Wouldn’t do to look as though he were laughing at the man’s plight when he was obviously so upset. But he was really, very, cute.

He watched as the man took a deep breath and let it out, then smiled.

“Sorry about that. I only realized about an hour ago that I had very nearly missed Mother’s Day and I still haven’t lived down last year’s, when I put the wrong address on the card and sent myself flowers for the holiday. I’m Phil, by the way.”

Dan tried not to laugh out loud at Phil’s story, but he failed miserably. As he watched, Phil’s eyes brightened, and he grinned.

“I mean, I did Facetime with her so she could see them at least.” He giggled and Dan felt his heart skip a beat.

“Alright, Phil,” Dan said, sobering, and fully ignoring that lurch of his heart, “let’s make this the best Mother’s Day she’s had so far, yeah? What sort of thing do you think she would like?”

“Um,” Phil bit his lip and it was one of the best things Dan had ever seen, he was sure. “She collects elephant stuff? Like, sculptures and knick knacks and that sort of thing? Her guest bathroom has an elephant theme. When I go home for Christmas dozens of elephants see me naked. It’s kinda disturbing, really.”

 _Lucky elephants_ , Dan thought, but out loud, “Ok, elephants we’ve got. Come with me.” He turned and led Phil to an old china cabinet his aunt used as a display case and pointed out several elephant sculptures in varying sizes and colors.

“Oh, this is amazing!” Phil laughed, turning to Dan.

“But I don’t know which one to get, there are so many. Which one do you like?”

“Uh, I guess, what’s her favorite color?”

“Blue? She likes blue, like me.”

“Well, then it has to be this one, doesn’t it?” and he reached to pick up a palm sized turquoise elephant, not unlike the color of Phil’s eyes.

Phil beamed at him, “It’s great! I’ll take it. Crisis averted.”

As Dan rang up the elephant, Phil said, “I don’t know how to thank you, I’d already been to five different shops before I got here. I could practically feel Mum’s disappointment hanging over my head like a dark, mum shaped cloud.”

Dan smiled softly, focused on wrapping up the elephant for shipping, “There’s no need to thank me, it’s my job.”

“Still,” Phil insisted, and Dan looked up at him, “maybe I could buy you a coffee or something?”

Dan glanced at the grandfather clock by the door.

“We close in ten minutes and there’s a coffee shop next door. They make the best mince pies, year round.”

Phil grinned, “Perfect.”

**Author's Note:**

> thanks to Eve and Jeremy on tumblr for the prompts :)


End file.
